POV "The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez"

POV "The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez"

The tale of a young man mistaken for a drug runner and killed by U.S. Marines patrolling the Texas-Mexico border.

In 1997, U.S. Marines patrolling the Texas-Mexico border as part of the War on Drugs shot and killed Esequiel Hernández Jr. Mistaken for a drug runner, the 18-year-old was, in fact, a U.S. citizen tending his family’s goats with a .22 rifle. He became the first American killed by U.S. military forces on native soil since the 1970 Kent State shootings. Narrated by Tommy Lee Jones, the film explores Hernández death and its torturous aftermath. His parents and friends, the Marines on patrol and investigators discuss the death of one young man and the dangers of militarizing the border.

POV The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez airs Wednesday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS World (cable 524/DT21.2).

The award-winning POV (a cinema term for "point of view") series is the longest-running showcase on television to feature the work of America's best contemporary-issue independent filmmakers.

WXXI celebrates Hispanic Heritage 2010 with a strong slate of new and encore programming that features Hispanic Americans who have enriched our nation. We invite you to join us by tuning in.